PDF enabled but not functional on Adobe Digital Editions readersePub enabled but not functional on Adobe Digital Editions readersOnline Reader off

Supported devices

iPhone / iPad

Android phones & tablets

Kindle Fire

e-readers with Adobe Digital Editions installed

PC

Mac

See the full list

Available Devices

X

This ebook is available for the following devices:

iPhone

iPad

Android

Kindle Fire

Windows

Mac

Sony Reader

Cool-er Reader

Nook

Kobo Reader

iRiver Story

About the author

JON E. PURMONT is an emeritus professor of history at Southern Connecticut State University. His articles have appeared in Connecticut Review and Connecticut Explored, and he is coauthor of A Concise History of the United States.

more

When Ella Tambussi Grasso ran for governor of Connecticut in 1974, she had not lost an election since she was first voted into the state’s General Assembly in 1952. The people of Connecticut chose her as the nation’s first woman to be elected governor in her own right—the capstone of a long and successful career dedicated to public service, effective government, and the democratic process. During her tenure as governor, Grasso’s leadership was tested in the face of fiscal problems, state layoffs, and budget shortfalls. The daughter of Italian immigrants, she endeared herself to her constituents during the great Blizzard of 1978, when she stayed at the State Armory around the clock to direct emergency operations and make frequent television appearances. Author Jon E. Purmont, who served as Grasso’s executive assistant when she was governor, draws on his diary from that time, research in Grasso’s archives, and interviews with Grasso’s family and friends to give us a rich and intimate portrait of this political pioneer. less

IntroductionChild of Twentieth Century Pilgrims“One of the country’s most wonderful women”“The whole day…a rosy glow”“Involved in the making of a Government”Working in the Vineyards“I can be a gadfly here”“I believe working for people is the noblest profession”“The Daughter of a Tortonese Governs Connecticut”“I love you…I love you all.”Epilogue

In the press

“(A) wonderfully detailed biography about the remarkable state leader, the first woman elected governor of any state in her own right and a posthumous recipient of the Medal of Freedom. … The book provides great insight to Grasso's career and mindset…”